1. Field of the Present Invention
The present invention relates generally to container security and, more particularly, to a container security system in which biometric access to electronic seals is used as a method to ensure secure freight delivery by limiting access only to authorized personnel and/or at authorized time periods.
2. Background of the Invention
Containerized shipping is a critical component of international trade. About 90% of the world's trade is transported in cargo containers and almost half of incoming U.S. trade (by value) arrives by containers onboard ships. More than seven million cargo containers arrive on ships and are offloaded at U.S. seaports each year. As terrorist organizations have increasingly turned to destroying economic infrastructure to make an impact on nations, the vulnerability of international shipping has come under scrutiny.
The Container Security Initiative (CSI) was launched in 2002 by the U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP), an agency of the Department of Homeland Security. Under the CSI program, the screening of containers that pose a risk for terrorism is accomplished by teams of CBP officials deployed to work in concert with their host nation counterparts. Its purpose was to increase security for container cargo shipped to the United States. As the CBP puts it, the intent is to “extend the zone of security outward so that American borders are the last line of defense, not the first.” The CSI consists of four core elements: using intelligence and automated information to identify and target containers that pose a risk for terrorism, pre-screening those containers that pose a risk at the port of departure before they arrive at U.S. ports, using detection technology to quickly pre-screen containers that pose a risk and using smarter, tamper-evident containers.
As of Oct. 15, 2008, the SAFE Port Act requires that all containers entering the U.S. from foreign ports of origin (including those from non C-TPAT members) must be secured with a high-barrier security seal that conforms to strength values as specified in the ISO/DIS 17712 Standard. One hundred sixty-six member countries of the World Customs Organization (WCO) have signed “The Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade.” Such seal integrity programs will be based on the use of a high-security mechanical seal as presented in ISO 17712 at the point of stuffing. The CBP will consider 6 U.S.C. 944 to be violated if loaded containers subject to the sealing requirements arrive by vessel at a port of entry in the United States on or after Oct. 15, 2008. The CBP may assess a civil penalty against the responsible party violating 6 U.S.C. 944 for the attempted introduction of merchandise into the United States contrary to law. Generally, ISO/PAS 17712 requires that container freight seals meet or exceed certain standards for strength and durability so as to prevent accidental breakage, early deterioration (due to weather conditions, chemical action, etc.) or undetectable tampering under normal usage. ISO/PAS 17712 also requires that each seal be clearly and legibly marked with a unique identification number.